Means for propelling vessels.



No. 653,435. Patented lu'ly I0, |900. G. BOEMERMANN. MEANS FR PROPELLINGVESSELS.

(Application mea Nov. 2a, 1999.) (No Modem 2 sheets-sheet l.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY INI #mi I Y, .WWNV

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WITNESSES No. 653,435. Piened iuly 10, |900.

G BUEMERMANN MEANS FUR PROPELLING VESSELS.. (Application med Nov. 23,'1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

UNITED tSTATES PATENT OFFICE..

GEORGE EOEMERMANN, OE NEW YORK, N. Y,

MEANS FOR PROPELLING VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 653,435, dated July 10,1900.

Application tiled November 23, 1899. Serial No. 738,051. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern: Y f

Be it known that I, GEORGE BOEMERMANN, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of New York,borou gh of Brooklyn,county of Kings,and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Means for Propelling Vessels, of whichthe following is aspecification.

This invention relates in general to means for driving a boat or vesselhaving as ai propelling device a screw-propeller; and the object is inpart to provide for the submersion of the antifriction bearingsandgearing of the propeller-shaft in water, whereby the friction is reducedto a minimum, in part to means whereby the propeller may be driven byhand by two or more persons through the medium of hand-cranks, and inpart to means whereby the passage or conduit which leads the water offlotation to the gearing and bearing tail views of the means forshutting the waterI from the tube or casing Vinclosing the propeller-shaft. Figs. 6, 7, andS are detail views of the thrust-bearingsof the propeller-shaft.

Referring primarily to Figs. l to 3, inclusive, ct represents a boat; b,the rudder thereof 5 c, the propeller for driving or propelling theboat, and d the propeller-shaft; These parts in themselves have nospecialnovelty.

The boat may have one or more sets of crank mechanisms for driving thepropellershaft, the number being dependent somewhat on the sizeofthevboat. In Fig. 1 two of such devices are shown, one of which isillustrated in detail in Figs. L2 and 3.

Fixed in the bottom of the boat are two gearing-boxes e e.. The Vafterbox is by preference connected with the stern-post of the boat by altubef, and thetwo boxes are connected together by a similar tube g. Thesevtubes are alined, and the propeller-shaft extends through them andthrough the after box, being thus entirely housed inside of the boat.Fig. 2 shows the box seen at the left in Fig. l, and Fig. 3 the box atthe top of the pillar which supports the cranks; but as both of thecrankmechanisms for driving are or may be alike a description of one willsuffice.

On the box c is fixed a pillar h, on which is rotatively mounted acrank-shaft t', having on its respective ends suitable cranks j. Ontheshafto' is secured a bevel'gear-wheel k, which gears with a bevelpinionor wheel m on an upright shaft n in thepillar 7L. 4On the lowerend of this upright shaft isfixed, Fig. 2, a bevel-wheel o, which gearswith a bevel pinion or wheelp on the propeller-shaft. The upright shaftn has roller-bearings above and below. The bearing-box q below, Fig. 2,has a support in the box c, which support straddles the propeller-shaftand is in the' nature of two legs r, one of which is seenfin Fig. 2.This box is in the form of an upright' cylinder with a removable cap s,andincloses a series of bearing-rollers t. The rollers are arranged inpairs, two on each shaft "u and distanced by a ring o between therollers of the pairs and through which the shafts extend. Thebevel-Wheel o has a hollow hub or boss which incloses the box qand'permits the wheelo to fit down closely to the propeller-shaft.' Atthe upper end of'the pillar h the shaft 'n has asimilar roller-bearingwithin the cap 7L' of the pillar, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig.3.V In this case the cap h forms the bearing- `box for the rollers. Thecap 7L is mounted on a box h2, Fig.' 3, within which is an end or thrustbearing w for the shaft n. As this bearing is not an essential for theupright shaft and is 'in substance the same as that Aused on thepropeller-shaft, a description of the latter, with especial reference toFigs. 2, `6, and 7, will suffice.

In the box e at the end of the propeller-shaft is fixed a bearing-blockQc about the latter, and fixed on the shaft at Opposite sides of saidbearing-block are two disks y. Between the respective disks and thebearing 'Qt are 4collars. a', loose on the shaft, and bearing-rings l.Each collar e and ring l serveas supports for the journals on which turnconical rollers 2, that roll on circular tracks 3 on the faces of TOO .the tracks over which they roll.

the bearing-block c and the disks y when the shaft d rotates. The ring lprevents the rollers from being forced radially outward by the pressure.Preferably, these rollers will be flanged at their ends, as shown, andto insure their rotation they may have on one or both ends cogs orteethto gear with racks along This geared construction is shown in thefragmentary view, Fig. 8, wherein 4 represents the gears on the ends ofthe roller 3, and 5 the racks. One of the disks y serves to take thethrust when the boat is moving ahead and the other takes the thrust whenit is backing.

It will be noted that the propeller-shaft does not have a bearing orneed not have a bearing, properly so called, in the block This block isdesigned to resist the end thrust of the shaft d, which will have aroller-bearing (seen clearly in section in Fig. 2) between the pinion pand the thrust-bearing. If there be two crank mechanisms, as seen inFig. 2, the shaft (l will extend entirely through this box and therewill be or need be no thrust-bearing therein.

The gearing k m will be housed in a casing h3, mounted on the pillar h,and the crankshaft 1l has or may have antifriction-roller bearings (seeFig. 3) similar to or like those for the shafts and u.

The tubular casings f and g and the boxes e are filled with water, andthis submergence of the bearings and gearing in. water deadens therattle and noise of the gearing and lubricates the latter; but in orderto prevent the water from entering the boat in case of accident to thecasings or boxes or in case it is desired to open the boxes or casingsfor repairs means are provided for cutting off the access of water tothe casingf. This cut-off is seen at 26 in Fig. l and is illustrated indetail in Figs. l and 5. The casingfhas in it an enlargement or box 27with a removable front plate 2S, and in this box is a clamp ring ordevice 30, adapted to be operated bya collared screw 3l, provided with asuitable crank or operating handle. The clamp or ring 30 is held inplace by a hinge-pin 32, (seen in Fig. 5,) and it has a cut packing-ring33, which embraces the propeller-shaft. Normally the ring 33 springsopen, so as not to touch the shaft d; but if it be desired to cutoff theinflux of water it may be clamped thereon by means of the screw 31, whenit will act, in conjunctionl with the ring 30, as a valve to check theflow of the water through the casing f. Obviously this closure of thevalve will be effected when the propellershaft is not in operation.

It will be obvious that some variation may be made in the constructionshown without materially departing from the present invention. Forexample, the clamp device 30 might be in two sections of any form, asthe main function of this device is to close the ring 33 on thepropeller-shaft. It will also be obvious without further illustrationthat if the two disks y were loose on the shaft d and fixed in the box eand the part a: were fixed on lthe shaft and loose in the box theoperation would be the same, or, in other words, if there were twoblocks and one doublefaced disk y between them and fixed on the shaftthe operation would be the same as with the construction shown.Obviously, also, there may be a disk y to resist the thrust in backingin one box e and a disk y to resist the thrust in going ahead in theother box. In this case there would be a bearing-block .fr in each box.

YHaving thus described my invention, I claiml. The combination with aboat, a propeller-shaft mounted therein, a propeller on said shaft,driving-gears at two points along said shaft, and upright shafts atthese points gearing with the propeller-shaft, of two boxes c, inclosingthe gearing at the said points, a tube g inclosing the propeller-shaftand connecting said boxes, a tubefinclosing the propeller-shaft andextending from thc after box to the stern of the boat and open to thewater of flotation, and an antifriction-bearingA in one of said boxes totake the end thrust of the propeller-shaft, whereby the gearing and saidthrust-bearing aresubmerged.

2. The combination with a boat, a propeller-shaft mounted therein, and apropeller on said shaft, of a box inclosing said shaft at the pointwhere the driving-gears are situated, the said gears, the driving-shaft,a casing f, connecting said box with the boat at the point where thepropeller-shaft passes out, and a cut-off in said casing, whereby theinflux of water may be stopped at will.

3. The combination with a boat, a propeller-shaft mounted therein, and apropeller on said shaft, of a box inclosing said shaft at the pointwhere the driving-gears are situated, the said gears, the driving-shaft,a casingf, connecting said box with the boat at the point where thepropeller-shaft passes out, and a cut-off in said casing near its outerend, said cut-off comprising a box 27, in the casing f, a cutpacking-ring 33, embracing the propeller-shaft, and means for clampingsaid ring on the shaft.

4. The combination with the boat, the propeller-shaft mounted therein,and the propelleron said shaft, of the roller, end-thrust bearing forthe propeller-shaft, the roller shaftbearing therefor, the pinion p onthe propeller-shaft, the upright driving-shaft, the wheel 0 thereongearing with the pinion p, said wheel having in it a hollow to receivean antifriction-roller bearing for the driving-shaft, the saidroller-bearing, and a box einclosing all of said bearings and gearingand connected with the water of flotation for submerging the same,substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with a boat, a propeller-shaft mounted therein, apropeller on said shaft, an upright shaft geared below to thepropeller-shaft and above to a crank-shaft IOO IIO

for operation by hand, the said crank-shaft, provided with cranks, andanti friction thrustbearings for the propeller-shaft, of a casinginolosing the propeller-shaft, the gearing to the upright shaft, and thethrust-bearings, said casing being open to the Water of flota,- ton, andmeans for cutting off the inuX of Water to the said casing.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this 20th day ofNovember, 1899, in 1o the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE BOEMERMANN.

Witnesses:

HENRY CONNETT, PETER A. Ross.

